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From: suhina@kodak.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.college,net.politics
Subject: Re: E.g. Student Gov't Project.
Message-ID: <237@kodak.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Feb-86 15:57:52 EST
Article-I.D.: kodak.237
Posted: Fri Feb 21 15:57:52 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Feb-86 04:02:00 EST
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> > As yet another U of M alumni, I wish to speak in favor of the MSA having
> > the right to attempt to ban the CIA from campus.  I doubt that almost any
> > major campus has student government elections that get more than 10% voting 
> > attendance.  We certainly don't get that much at the Univ. of Wisconsin.  
> > A 10% sample of such a large sample space would be considered representative 
> > under almost any circumstances (except by people who disagree with the 
> > decision).  Pollsters make do with much less than that.  Hence I think the MSA 
> > has the right to view themselves as a representative body, and to proceed under 
> > those assumptions.
> > 
> 
> A pollster uses a REPRESENTATIVE sample of the general population to make
> estimates of general public opinion.  The 10% that vote on my college
> campuses are disproportionately political, and my impression is they are
> strongly disproportionately leftist.  Who does MSA speak for?  I would
> be very skeptical that they speak for anything but a small chunk of the
> students.
>
  (Other comments followed in the original)

The sampling may in fact be disproportionately political and leftist but
everyone else had a chance to speak and chose not to. Their reasons are 
their own but I would guess apathy is probably the biggest reason. Who does
MSA speak for? It looks to me like they speak for those who have something
to say and are willing to say it. The big question is why is everyone else
quiet?